Publication Name

KICK THE HABIT

INTRODUCTION

Who is responsible?

Individual responsibility for climate change mitigation decreases with de-

creasing economic power. In poor countries more responsibility lies with

those who can act, such as governments and companies.

The UN Development Programme’s 2008

Human Development Report

draws a helpful distinction between developed and developing countries.

In order to stay below a global 2°C temperature rise, it suggests emissions

reductions by developed countries of 80 per cent by 2050, with 30 per cent

reductions by 2020. Under this scenario, developing countries would need

to cut their emissions by 20 per cent by 2050, with emissions rising un-

til 2020. Average emissions in both developed and developing countries

would converge by 2060 to about 2.0 tonnes per head of CO

Another distinction is between the least-developed countries (LDCs), and

the fast-developing ones, like Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRICs).

While developed countries would need to cut their emissions, some ana-

lysts suggest, the BRICs should aim to minimise their rising emissions by

leapfrogging the industrialized bloc with clean technology. The LDCs would

do that too, but with additional emphasis on providing support for ecosys-

tem protection, for example by moving away from charcoal, and protecting

forests and other carbon sinks. In future discussions about the share of

responsibilities in reducing GHG emissions, the question of financing ac-

tion will be central. The next round of negotiations for a post-Kyoto Protocol

agreement will have to deal with these funding issues.